This invention relates to a dual durometer thermoplastic polyurethane handle made from rigid and soft thermoplastic polyurethanes.
Hand grips for tools or sporting equipment which provide comfort to the user are known in the art. For example, Uke et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,862 describes a sleeve of a semisolid or stiff elastomeric material. Smith in U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,862 describes a handle made from rubber encapsulating a relatively hard plastic core. Coyle in U.S. Pat. No. 2,871,899 describes a tool handle made from a soft plastic sleeve surrounding a rigid material. Kusznir in U.S. Pat. No. 4,721,021 describes a handle made of a strong durable elastic material and a soft engaging foamed synthetic rubber pad extending longitudinally from the handle. The pad is pressed into engagement with the durable elastic material.
It would be an advance in the art to provide a dual durometer handle with both mechanical strength and chemical resistance that can be prepared without the use of adhesives.